Liberty. It’s a simple idea, but it’s also the linchpin of a complex system of values and practices: justice, prosperity, responsibility, toleration, cooperation, and peace. Many people believe that liberty is the core political value of modern civilization itself, the one that gives substance and form to all the other values of social life. They’re called libertarians.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Jersey Voters Flip on Menendez, Approval Ratings Crash

A new Quinnipiac University poll of New Jersey voters shows the
state’s Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez’s approval ratings have crashed.

Only 36 percent of New Jersey voters approve of Menendez’s
performance, whereas 41 percent disapprove of it, according to a poll
conducted from Feb. 13 to Feb. 17. Quinnipiac notes
this is “a 15-point drop in less than a month,” as Menendez has a 51
percent approval rating, and 33 percent disapproval rating, as recently
as January 23.

Even fewer voters think he is “honest and trustworthy.” An
overwhelming 44 percent of New Jersey voters do not think he tells the
truth, compared to 28 percent who do.
To make matters worse for Menendez, 70 percent of voters in New
Jersey have read or heard something about the scandal involving his
connections to Democratic Party mega-donor Dr. Salomon Melgen and
allegations of prostitution solicitation. The scandal has severely
damaged Menendez’s reputation with his state’s voters. Fifty-nine
percent of voters say the scandal makes them feel less favorably about
Menendez, while only 35 percent say it does not affect their opinion of
him.
Fifty-three percent of New Jersey voters are not satisfied with how
Menendez has handled the issue thus far; only 28 percent are satisfied
with his response.
Perhaps more importantly, 67 percent of New Jersey voters think this
scandal is worth investigating and that the allegations are not
politically motivated. A miniscule 23 percent of New Jersey voters think
the allegations are politically motivated.
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute director Maurice Carroll said these new polling numbers for Menendez are devastating.
“U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez took an overseas trip and the poll numbers
he left behind in New Jersey are dreadful - down 15 points in less than
a month," Carroll said in a statement. “More than two thirds of voters
have heard of his troubles and the more they know, the less they
approve.”
“Whenever a politician gets a new job, such as Sen. Menendez'
position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the knives
come out,” Carroll added. “But, by almost 3-1, voters think the Menendez
charges are worth investigating. About one quarter think it's just
politics.”
Menendez has hired Matt Miller, a former senior press aide to
Attorney General Eric Holder, to try to manage his public perception
throughout this scandal. Miller has planted some stories in media
outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post, but has largely failed to fix the senator’s image amid the scandal.